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 Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 6:35 pm
"Oh, I've made many stories. Probably about twenty or thirty..." He said with a bashful smile. He looked up at the stars that were starting to appear and saw the familiar shape of a constellation. It was in the shape of a tree, and he recognized it as the first on he had ever made a story for.
"See that one there?" He said, motioning with his head towards the sky. "That is the Tree of Life. Whenever someone dies, a star is born. Whenever someone is born, a star goes out. Therefore the stars are the souls of the unborn creatures of the planet, waiting for their turn to replace one of the living. And that pattern of stars is the Tree that once lived here on earth, but when evil had grasped it the tree withered and died as well. It then appeared in the heavens, doing it's job safe from the grip of evil. And so it continues do so, and will forever continue to do so, far long after yo and I are gone."
He finished his story and looked at her, smiling his half smile. "It's silly, I know."
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 8:09 pm
She laughed. Wow, that was a lot of stories! He must have a lot of time on his paws in order to do that. She didn't have that much time to sit and stargaze. It was always hunting or sleeping or drinking, at least most of the time, for her. She was always doing something.
Zuri looked up and squinted to see the constellation he nodded towards. "Where? Oh, I see it! It's a tree!" Then she shushed and listened to his story of the stars. The Tree of Life, hm. "So why does a star disappear when someone is born? Because we start off as stars first, and then when we come here, our star goes away?" This story was intriguing. She had never thought of herself as a star before the life she now lived as a lioness.
"No, I think it's really interesting," she promised, smiling gently at him. "Please keep going?"
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 8:17 pm
"Yes, our souls go back up and rejoin the heavens when we die. But we begin as stars, and when our mothers give birth to us, our star forms into the creature we are on this plane." He nodded sagely, though he had just completely made it up over years and years of trying to imagine what it would be like to be a star.
He smiled shyly, glad she liked his story. "Oh, well, there isn't really much more to tell of that story.. Basically it's just my own little creation theory." He chuckled softly. He had never told anyone before, and he was glad she ventured questions to him. It helped him to create an even better, more in-depth tale.
"Do you see any other patterns in the sky?" He asked, since now night had fully closed around them, the sun just a sliver of light over the horizon, which was soon gone as well. He had a story for every pattern in the stars, although he was hoping she would pick one out that he had seen too. He began to search for the ones he knew were around this stime of year, recalling his tales for each.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 8:29 pm
"So..does our star move, then, in order to form the creature we are when we're born? Does it come down to here instead of being up in the sky? How can it do that?"
Zuri smiled and beamed up at him. "Still! It's really interesting. There's no way I could come up with something like that; it's so...complex! It must have taken you a while to get all the facts straight and figure out how things really work." Seriously. She had never known that the stars could be so interesting other than being sparkly dots in the sky.
Other patterns? Hmm...
"I see...a cub!" She lifted a paw and pointed a little bit farther away than she had been looking originally. She hadn't meant to find it, but there it was. The stars clearly outlined a cub, its lower half bent down to the ground, ready to pounce.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 8:36 pm
Lio smiled at her. "That is still a mystery to mortals like ourselves. Only when we rise from here at death will we discover that."
"It did take a long time." He said with another happy chuckle. When she pointed out the cub, he was relieved, since this was one of the first he had ever created a story for.
"Ah, yes... That is Paka'mi, the small and innocent. He is there because of that innocence. He trusted far too much, and he was taken away by a cruel and terrible lion. He did unspeakable things to the small cub, then killed him. The Gods took pity on the young soul, since he had only wanted to make a friend. They gave him an eternal; resting spot in the heavens, so that he may play with as many stars as he wishes. It's said that any evil lions that live today are that way because when they were stars, they did not meet Paka'mi, and did not learn how to trust, nor how to forgive."
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 8:42 pm
"Well, that's silly. How do we get to be so wise and knowledgeable if we don't know anything about what we're supposed to know? Like things about the stars?" She asked, and then closed her mouth when another question was about to pop out in favor of listening to another story.
Which...also managed to make sense. "Poor Paka'mi! I wish I could have met him when he was alive. I would have been a great friend for him!" She loved cubs. Especially because they were someone else's, and all she had to do was play with them for a while. Not hunt for them, not clean them, not raise them. Just play. It was a time when she could truly be herself in all her child-like glory.
"What else do you see? Or are you too tired?" Zuri knew that talking or staying up too late could wear a lion out. She didn't want to push her new friend to his limits just for her.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 8:53 pm
Lio smiled at her with affection in his eyes. He really enjoyed this lioness's company, more than he had ever enjoyed anyone else. He chuckled at her comment, glad she would have been the little cubs friend. He could tell she was honest about that as well, that she really would have, and she wasn't just saying it.
"Oh, I'm never too tired." He said with a smile. "But are you tired, I wonder? I know you're not used to staying up late at night like I am. I do this all the time." He was obviously telling the truth, since he was even more awake now than he had been when the sun was up. He didn't want her to be tired, and he was concerned that they had stayed up too late already.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 9:00 pm
Zuri couldn't help but blush a little at the look on his face when she locked eyes with him, or his concern for her. He was so sweet! And smart and creative and...oh, why hadn't she met him sooner?
"I am a little tired," she admitted sheepishly. "I'm not used to staying up all night long. But I can try!" She glanced at the moon rising faster and faster to be in the middle of the sky. "...Maybe not tonight. I'm sorry!" She didn't mean to disappoint him. Next time, though, she would try to stay up a good bit later than this.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 9:06 pm
Lio smiled at her, the same affection still in his orange eyes. "Oh don't worry about it at all, Zuri." He said with a smile. It was one of the first times he had ever said a females name without tagging 'miss' in front of it. He liked to be polite and respectful, but he felt a connection with her, one that he knew didn't call for such formalities.
"Sleep is more important." He nodded. "Do you want to sleep here?" He ventured, unsure if she would like to spend the night with him. But he didn't like the idea of her going off into the night alone. "It would be much safer, since you'd be inside the pride lands, and... with me." He wanted to tell her everything his heart was screaming at him to say; that he wanted to protect her forever, that he never wanted to be away from her again. But he held his tongue and just told her with his eyes. He hoped she would say yes, he wanted a little more time with her, even if she would be asleep during it.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 9:34 pm
This...was not the first time she had been invited to sleep with a male. Although she was pretty sure Lio didn't want that from her (at least, not right now), she was still a bit apprehensive about spending the night with him. But he seemed polite enough, and courteous, and...understanding. So perhaps no harm could come of it. Besides, if she wanted to say no, at least now she really knew how.
"I would like that. Is it okay with you, though? And the pride? Do I have to be a member, or is it okay for me to just visit like that?" She didn't want to break any rules. If she did that, she might not be able to see him again, and Zuri wasn't sure she could handle that. Not after tonight, though young as she was. She truly felt some kind of connection with him.
The kind of connection that just edged her on to continue to be around him, close enough to even touch. That was definitely something she wanted, now that she thought about it. Perhaps she'd say it was cold and scoot in closer to him later...
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 7:11 pm
Lio smiled at her, his heart skipped a beat when she said she would. "Oh it's fine, no one would know anyway." He said with a smile, even though he really had no idea about how the pride would react. But he decided then and there that if they didn't let her stay, he wouldn't be part of it anymore, and he would go with her, if she would have him.
"And it's perfectly fine with me, I'd like it, actually." He said with another soft smile. He wanted so badly to cuddle against her, but he would never dare to make that move. At least, not yet. He was barely breathing as he waited for her response, he wanted so badly to be with her. Not in that way, although he wouldn't have minded that. He was a guy.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 7:17 pm
Oh, well, if no one would know, then it couldn't be too bad of a choice. She smiled and gave one last glance at the stars above. She knew she'd be seeing them sooner or later, of course. Especially if she was spending the night and more time with their avid follower in the form of a bright blue lion.
"Thank you, then." Zuri's smile widened and she hesitantly and lightly nuzzled his neck with her head. But she wasn't embarrassed by the action: she felt it had been the right thing to do, so she had done it.
"Lead the way, Sir Lio."
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 7:27 pm
Lio smiled at her and lead the way to the den he called his own, which was on the outskirts of the pride border. It only took them a few minutes to get to the small yet homey den, where he let her go in first. When she had nuzzled him he had felt his heart beat faster and he smiled, nuzzling her back a little cautiously.
When they had settled down within the den, Lio looked outside at the stars, his mind too filled with thoughts of how his life had changed in the past few hours. He glanced over at Zuri, and snuggled close to her, loving the feeling of her warmth against him. He had finally found someone besides the stars to call a friend, and he hoped that perhaps soon, he could consider her something even more.
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